The first stage play I ever saw was Tomoya Nakamura as Abe no Seimei | Tanabata charms and my daughter's performing arts

Tanabata is almost here.

When this time of year comes around, Seimei Shrine in Kyoto suddenly comes to mind.

Just as naturally, I also think about my daughter's piano.

The Tanabata charm from Seimei Shrine is a somewhat special amulet for my daughter.

At the end of this article, I have included official links for "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" and Seimei Shrine, as well as my own posts from that time.

I will try writing this while remembering those days little by little.

The first stage play I ever saw was Tomoya Nakamura as Seimei

The first stage play I ever saw was Tomoya Nakamura as Abe no Seimei.

Gekidan Shinkansen's "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari".

Even now, I remember that time very well.

When it was performed, we were in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was a time when news of stage play cancellations or performances stopping midway was much more common than it is now.

Even if you had a ticket, you couldn't feel at ease until the curtain went up. Even if the curtain went up, you didn't know if they would make it to the end.

Even as an audience member, I headed to the theater with a feeling that was somewhat like a prayer.

In that atmosphere, Tomoya Nakamura lived as Abe no Seimei with such nonchalance.

He didn't carry all the weight on his shoulders. He didn't pretend the anxiety didn't exist either.

He stood there gracefully, smiled lightly, and was simply there as Seimei.

That image left a strong impression on me, as someone who was watching a stage play for the first time.

So this is how a stage play stays in a person's memory.

I think that is probably what I thought at that time.

I couldn't escape from that world

In "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari," I learned many words for the first time.

Pentagram.
The four gods that protect the four directions.
The Azure Dragon of the East, the White Tiger of the West, the Vermilion Bird of the South, and the Black Tortoise of the North.
And, Kyukyu Nyoritsuryo.

Words that had been distant to me until then were alive on that stage.

Words I heard in the story.
Words released from Seimei's lips.
Words that entered my body along with the lights and sounds of the stage.

Even after it finished, I couldn't easily escape from that world.

I read Kazuki Nakashima's play script from cover to cover.

Whenever a scene or line suddenly popped into my head, I would open the pages and read it again.

Where was that scene again?
Who said that line, and what kind of expression did they have?

As I reread it over and over like that, not only I, but my family was drawn into it as well.

My second son and eldest daughter, who watched the DVD and Geki×Cine with me,

"That's that line from that scene, right?"

They became able to guess it correctly.

Before I knew it, "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" was no longer just my own personal fandom, but a work that had permeated my family as well.

The Seimei I met on stage connected to Kyoto

Through "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari," I learned about Seimei Shrine in Kyoto.

A shrine dedicated to Abe no Seimei.

The Abe no Seimei I met on stage connects to the real Seimei Shrine in Kyoto.

When I learned that, I felt a strange sensation.

The thing that captured my heart in the story actually exists in a real place.

It's not just on screens or in books; if you go to Kyoto, that place actually exists.

That alone moved my heart a little.

And then, I learned that Seimei Shrine has a Tanabata amulet.

Furthermore, I learned that it is also an amulet for the performing arts.

At that moment, my daughter came to mind.

My daughter's music

As my daughter continued with her music, there was a time when I, as a parent, felt lost.

Is studying music professionally really the right path for her?

Continuing something because you love it and studying it professionally seem similar, but they are a little different.

The amount of practice increases.
What is expected of her also increases.
She also starts appearing in places where she is evaluated.

Watching my daughter as a parent, I would sometimes get ahead of myself and feel anxious.

But my daughter herself said it.

That she wanted to enter a competition.

That feeling was not something for me to decide.

It is also not for a parent to decide in advance whether she is suited for it or not.

If she says she wants to do it, I want to respect that feeling.

Thinking that way, around the time she started entering competitions.

That period happened to overlap with the time I encountered 'Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari'.

I encountered Tomoya Nakamura's Seimei, learned about Seimei Shrine, and learned about the Tanabata amulet for the performing arts.

That is why, for me, the Tanabata amulet was not just a seasonal charm.

It was an amulet for my daughter, and also something to help settle my own feelings as a parent.

I hope she gets better at it.

Of course, I wish for that too.

But that wasn't all.

I wanted to make sure I didn't let my own parental anxieties stop her from doing what she said she wanted to do.

To help settle those feelings, I started receiving Tanabata amulets.

Receiving them by mail for three years

That said, I couldn't just go to Kyoto right away.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I received Tanabata amulets by mail for three years.

I really wanted to go and visit the shrine.

But I couldn't.

Back then, Kyoto felt much further away than it does now.

Looking at the amulet that arrived in the mailbox, I felt grateful.

Even if you are far away, you can still make a wish.

I received that amulet every year while thinking about my daughter's music.

Kyoto became closer

That changed a little starting last year.

My eldest son started attending university in Kyoto, and I began visiting the city many times.

It's a strange thing.

Kyoto, which once felt so far away, became a place I visited frequently for family matters.

In the course of that, I was able to visit Seimei Shrine, which had been a long-held wish of mine.

A place I learned about through the stage play.
A place I had always wanted to visit.
A place where I received a Tanabata charm.

I was finally able to go there on my own two feet.

That alone made the depths of my heart feel a little calmer.

And I was able to visit the shrine with my daughter as well.

I was able to go and receive the Tanabata charm that I had been getting for my daughter every year, but this time, I went with her.

This was a rather significant event for me.

July 7, Reiwa 7

On July 7, Reiwa 7, I also visited Seimei Shrine with my mother.

A day when the sevens align.

I also remember well that I was able to receive a goshuin (shrine seal) on that day.

My daughter.
My eldest son going to Kyoto.
Being able to visit with my mother.

Before I knew it, Seimei Shrine was no longer just a place for my own personal fandom activities.

I feel as though the connection that began with "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" has gradually spread throughout my family.

The charm was also a parent's resolve

When I receive a charm, I always think about this.

A parent cannot walk their child's life for them.

It is my daughter who plays the piano.
It is my daughter who stands on stage.
It is my daughter who decides to enter a competition, who feels frustrated after it's over, and who decides she wants to play again.

There is not much a parent can do.

Driving her to and from lessons.
Making meals.
Supporting her practice time.
Communicating with her teachers.
Making sure she doesn't forget anything on the day of her performance.

And I wish in my heart.

May music always be an ally to this child.

Perhaps for me, the Tanabata amulet is a form of that wish.

It is a charm to protect my daughter, and also a charm to keep me, as a parent, from being too overbearing in deciding her path.

Tanabata is approaching again this year.

At first, it was just one play.

Meeting Tomoya Nakamura's Abe no Seimei. Watching it in a theater during the pandemic, praying for the curtain to rise. Getting so hooked on "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" that our family watched it over and over. Learning about Seimei Shrine from there. Coming to receive Tanabata amulets for my daughter's performing arts.

Tracing it back one by one, it was all connected.

Sometimes, being a fan takes you to places you never expected to go.

I thought I had only watched a play.

Before I knew it, I was going to Kyoto, visiting the shrine, wishing for my daughter's music, and it even connected to our family time.

Tanabata is approaching again this year.

May everything she has built up reach the first note of her performance.

And when she looks back someday,

"I worked really hard back then,"

I hope my daughter can feel a little proud of herself.

Thinking of such things, I am welcoming the season of Tanabata amulets again this year.

If you would like to read more

In this note, I also write articles that trace the lingering impressions of music, soundtracks, and acting, using Tomoya Nakamura's works as an entry point.

Just as "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" led to Seimei Shrine, sometimes a work can take you to a different place.

I'll leave a few articles here that are close to that feeling.

"Your Quiz" Music Analysis

Yaffle and the music of "Your Quiz"

I also updated my note tracing Tomoya Nakamura's works through music, starting from "Your Quiz".

From Yaffle, Tatsuhiko Saiki, and Uru, to Hikaru Utada's "Time".
It's a musical map that will make you love the works all over again, for the price of a cup of coffee.

*This is a paid article

Reference links

I'll leave the official information about "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" and Seimei Shrine here.

To recall the atmosphere of that time, I'll also leave Tomoya Nakamura's official X account and my own past posts together.

"Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" performance official website

Geki x Cine "Kitsune Seimei Kyubi-gari" official website

Seimei Shrine official website

Seimei Shrine | Amulets and Talismans

There is an explanation of the Tanabata amulet.

Seimei Shrine Official Instagram

Tomoya Nakamura Official X | Post from the opening day of 'Kitsune Seimei Kyubi Gari'

A post accompanied by the words, 'Yuyu nyo ritsuryo.'

My post from that time | The day of the grand finale of 'Kitsune Seimei Kyubi Gari' in Osaka

My post from that time | The day of the grand finale of 'Kitsune Seimei Kyubi Gari' in Osaka

My desk area around the time of the Geki×Cine release

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